Appeal to help little Ava to walk

May 17, 2016

Ava Brosnan

The London Irish parents of a five year old little girl with cerebral palsy have publicly appealed for help in raising money for an operation that will help her to walk.

The complicated corrective surgery on little Ava’s nervous system is not available on the NHS but parents Danny and Mary Brosnan have been told by Great Ormond Street Hospital that the operation can be had if privately funded.

Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is an operation used to improve spasticity or muscle stiffness in cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy occurs when a child sustains a brain injury early in life. The operation can be carried out up to the age of 12 years old and there is a waiting list of nine to twelve months.

Danny, 48, and Mary, 43, from Neasden and Kingsbury and who have two other children, Mia, 12, and Conor, 9, need to raise £35,000 for Ava’s life-changing §surgery. To date they have raised £15,000 but worry the campaign may have plateaued.

Ava Brosnan and family

Mary, 43, whose parents came from Ballycastle in Mayo, told the Irish World: “It is caused by lack of oxygen to the brain. At the moment the spasticity in her legs is treated by Botox which is a really good indication she would be responsive to the surgery.

“The injections work for something like four months and she uses a little walking frame. SDR isn’t available on the NHS although it has been relatively successful in a lot of cases, it is due to be reviewed in 2017.

“Ava is doing great at school and is such a happy, lovely little girl, it would be lovely if by the time she leaves school she can walk and this is behind her,” said Mary.

Danny’s late parents Con and Margaret came from Kiskeam in Cork and Glenbeigh in Kerry, respectively.